The invention relates to a self-anchoring fiber block system for lining lake or ocean shorelines or the banks of streams or rivers to control erosion of the soil near the water's edge and to promote growth of environmentally friendly vegetation near the waterline. Urban development has led to construction of more and more impervious solid surfaces such as parking lots and paved roads among other man-made structures that impede the natural watershed's ability to absorb and filter rainwater carrying silt from soil erosion and other pollutants before it runs off into streams and other waterways. This unfiltered runoff harms the environment by increasing pollution levels in the waterways within the watershed. The increased runoff also increases the danger of flash flooding and flows through the watershed at increased velocities. The faster the runoff flows through existing waterways and the higher the volume of the runoff, the more the runoff erodes the banks of the waterways and the more the runoff harms the ecosystem of the watershed. Additionally, severe washouts along the banks of the eroded waterway may damage property located near the banks.
Various structures and methods exist for stabilizing waterway banks and shorelines. One current method for stabilizing the banks of a waterway is to line the banks of a waterway or shoreline with concrete. However, this method completely destroys the localized ecosystem along the bank because it requires completely removing the vegetation growing along the bank. This method also eliminates or reduces the size of much needed green spaces in urban areas.
Another method of stabilizing the banks of a waterway is to stack rocks or boulders along the banks or shorelines to create riprap. Along with the disadvantages inherent in concrete lining, the use of riprap alongside waterways can block water flow during severe flow conditions if pieces of the riprap move from their intended locations. Additionally, both concrete and riprap are expensive to install on waterway banks and shorelines.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,338,131; 5,425,597; 5,641,244; and 5,678,954 to Bestmann describe prior methods of preventing waterway banks and shoreline erosion by placing various objects along a waterway to promote vegetation growth, initially on the objects themselves and later on the banks and shorelines. Although various methods described in Bestmann's patents involve the growth of vegetation as a mechanism for slowing or eliminating erosion on waterway banks and shorelines, they all have a common problem in installation of the objects. Bestmann extensively uses anchors to install his erosion control objects in waterway banks and shorelines including wooden stakes, steel cables, and anchor plates, each of which suffer from various deficiencies. Because Bestmann's wooden stakes are submerged under water but not buried in the soil, their buoyancy causes them to loosen and eventually work free from their anchoring position, which can cause the erosion control system to fail. Bestmann's wooden stakes can also rot and lose their structural integrity within short period of time when compared to the coir material used in much of the remaining structure in Bestmann's erosion control systems. Bestmann's wooden stakes also require extensive labor, which increases the costs associated with using Bestmann's erosion control systems. Bestmann's steel anchoring structures do not float or rot quickly, but they also require extensive labor. These steel anchoring structures may also be prohibited in many environmentally sensitive areas. Therefore, there is a need for waterway bank and shoreline protection and restoration system, which is capable of protecting waterway bank and shoreline over an extended time and with an environmentally friendly and stable anchoring structure and method. Furthermore, the system should promote growth of vegetation on it and protected waterway bank and shoreline.
Bestmann's erosion control systems also suffer the disadvantage of having structurally weak connections between the erosion control objects when the objects are installed over an extended length to cover long sections of a shoreline or bank. When the objects described by Bestmann are placed end-to-end along the length of the protected area shoreline or bank they tend to shift from their alignment with each other over time. The shift in alignment exposes the soil between the objects to water and thus erosion.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,721 to Cronkhite et al. describes an erosion prevention block of a hollow and L-shaped plastic block. Use of these blocks in waterway banks and shorelines to stop erosion is not an environmental friendly approach. When installed, these block systems behave similar to a concrete wall in that they remain virtually indefinitely and they inhibit growth of vegetation on the protected surface. Moreover, these blocks are complicated to handle during installation. Because these blocks are permanent structures, they must be removed if the waterway on which they are installed is expanded. Once removed, these plastic blocks are very difficult to dispose of properly because they are not biodegradable. Moreover, environmental regulations make using these plastic blocks in environmentally sensitive wetland and wildlife habitat difficult if not impossible.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,202 to Brown describes a shoreline erosion control system for installation on a shoreline or waterway bank. Brown's system is anchored to the shoreline or bank using cables, steel anchor piles, and metal staples (see FIGS. 2-4). These anchors are expensive and their installation is labor intensive. Brown also describes the use of metallic mesh, a synthetic erosion mat, and wire mesh, none of which is biodegradable. Moreover, synthetic nets of the type described by Brown can entrap and kill reptiles, birds, and fish leading to trap them and eventually kill them. Therefore, it is difficult, if not impossible to use these materials in environmentally sensitive wetland and wildlife habitat promoting areas.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,533 to Bourg describes a shoreline erosion control system comprising interlocking and layered elements made of concrete. Once installed, this system behaves like a paved concrete surface. Because Bourg's erosion control system suffers all the problems inherent with the concrete lining method described earlier, it is inappropriate to use them along environmentally sensitive watershed and wildlife habitat areas.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,168,349 to Perslow, et al. describes a system for lining a bank of a waterway. The system comprises two parallel linings of soil cement along the waterway bank. Placing soil cement process includes removal of soil along the bank, mixing them with cement and water, placing them back and compacting. If the soil in the bank is not suitable for soil cement process, suitable soil has to be imported from another site. Therefore, placing soil cement on a waterway bank is expensive and time consuming. Moreover, Perslow, et al's soil cement waterway bank lining system is not friendly to ecosystem along the waterway bank. Soil cement does not promote growth of vegetation and it does function as a natural wildlife habitat.